Carbon tetrachlorid package.



W. L. HARRISON. CARBON TETRACHLORID PACKAGE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT.18,1913.

Patented Aug. 4, 1914,

WITNESSES.- fan/a "1% 26655 64 & fan 12a BY 6% ATTORNEY UNITED STATES.PATENT QFFIGE,

WILLIAM L. HARRISON, F BRANFORD, CONNECTICUT.

CARBON-TETBACHLORID PACKAGE.

1,106,144., Specification. of Letters Patent.

T ll h it may concern,- such packings, has been found to be objec- Be itknown that I, WILLIAM L. HAR- tionable on account of a disintegrating orRISON, a citizen of the United States, and a corroding action which isobserved after resident of Branford, in the county of New some time,both in the packing itself and in Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinthe metal of which the receptacle is made. vented certain new anduseful Improve- As stated above, this detrimental action is ments inCarbon-Tetrachlorid Packages, of probablydue chiefly to the formation ofwhich the following is a specification. hydrochloric acid from carbontetrachlorid Carbon tetrachlorid is a liquid used extenand the moisturepresent; such moisture is sively for various purposes, particularly forfound sometimes as an impurity admixed t cleaning andas afire-extinguishing subcarbon tetrachlorid, sometimes in th lustance.Considerable difficulty has been exbricant (oil), in the packingmaterial perienced hitherto in connection with recep- (leather), in theambient air, and particutacles (such as fire-extinguishers) containlarlyin the compressed air which is em- 7() ing carbon tetrachlorid. It wasfound freployed for operating the follower which exquently, and indeed,almost invariably, that pels the carbon tetrachlorid, or for expelafterstanding for a few months, the metal ling such carbon tetrachloridwithout the of the receptacle, and the leather packing use of afollower. It is quite possible that generally used in apparatus of thischaracsome of the detrimental effects observed ter, showed evidences ofcorrosion or other hitherto when other agents were employeddeterioration to a serious extent, suflieient instead of glycerin, weredue to the absorpto impair if not to defeat entirely, the eflition ofsuch lubricating agents by the carcient operation of the apparatus. Frominbon tetrachlorid, whereby the packing bevestigations made at myinstigation, it apcame dry, or to the corroding action which go pearsthat the difliculties experienced in the the oil or grease, orsubstances formed past were due largely, and perhaps exclutherefrom bythe action of the air, exerted sively, to the presence of moisture, thecaron the brass or copper of which the receptabon tetrachlorid combiningwith this moiscle is generally made. The use of glycerin ture (Water)and thus forming hydro- (and particularly chemically pure glycerin, 35chloric acid, the corrosive properties of free from acid) overcomes allthese defects, which would readily account for the desince glycerin isnot only hygroscopic, but structive results observed in practice.Acinert as regards air and the material'(copcording to my presentinvention, I have sucper or brass) of the receptacles and also ceeded inovercoming the drawbacks prewith respect to carbon tetrachlorid, has novailing heretofore, by providing a hygroinjurious action on leather orother packing scopic agent, viz.: glycerin, in places where material,but acts as an eflicient lubricant at moisture might otherwise haveaccess to the all ordinary temperatures. carbon tetrachlorid, suchglycerin absorbing My present invention is applicable to apany moisturepresent and thus preventing paratus of various kinds, it being undertheformation of any hydrochloric acid stood that the structural features ofthe apwhich might result from the action of carparatus form no part ofmy present invenbon tetrachlorid on such moisture. In cases tion, whichconsists exclusively in using where the apparatus embodies packings andglycerin or equivalent agents in the relamovable parts, the use ofglycerin is valution set forth. Thus the. invention may be we able fortwo additional reasons, viz.: First, applied to apparatus of theconstruction glycerin thoroughly fills the pores of the shown in LettersPatent of the United leather or other material employed for States No.1,067,811 issued to me on July packing purposes, and thus seals thejoint 22nd 1913, by applying glycerin to the tightly. Second, theviscous character of washers of the follower F and also if de- .105glycerin gives it excellent lubricating propsired to the washerinterposed between the erties, and this is of especial advantage cock Eand the outlet D. Or my present when the carbon tetrachlorid is expelledinvention may be applied to the apparatus from the receptacle by meansof a pistonshown in Letters Patent of the United like member or followerprovided with suit- States No. 1,027,133, granted to Ernest M. ablewashers or packings. The oil or like Lawrence on May 21st 1912, bysimply material used heretofore for lubricating using glycerin insteadof the oil or grease from striking the lower end with which Lawrenceintended to impregnate the packings or washers of the piston or followerwhich separates the air-chamber of his apparatus from the compartmentcontaining the fire-extinguishing compound (carbon tetrachlorid). Ofcourse, the leather or other packing material should be in a propercondition (clean, and with open pores) to receive the glycerin.

I desire it to be distinctly understood that in referring to the particuar apparatus disclosed in the two patents mentioned above, I simplyintended to give examples of constructions to which my invention may beapplied, without any intention to restrict myself to apparatus of thisparticular type or construction.

To show an example of an apparatus to which my invention may be applied,I have reproduced in the accompanying drawings,

Figures 1 and 2 of the Lawrence patent mentioned above, Fig. 1 being avertical section of the apparatus, and Flg. 2 a horizontal section online 2-2 of Fig. 1. Briefly described, this apparatus comprises a caslng1 with a lower head 2 screwthreaded to receive the outlet nozzle 3provided with a collar 4 to press a washer 5 against the head 2. Thecock or nozzle 3 channel 6 controlled by a rotary plug or valve 7. Theupper head 8 has an externally screw-threaded boss 9 provided with alongitudinal channel 10 leading from the surrounding air to the insideof a pump cylinder 11, said boss being perforated centrally to guide thestem 12 of the piston 14. The piston head 15 is recessed in its lowerface to receive a washer 16, while an inverted cupped packing member 17is secured to the upper face of the piston head. The lower end 11 of thecylinder 11 has a hollow cylindrical extension 18 projecting up into thecylinder (to engage the washer 16 at certain times) and also projectingdownwardly from said cylinder. This lower portion of the extension 18has ports 19 encircled by a tubular member 20 made of rubber or otheryielding material. The stem 12 has 'a handle 22 recessed and threaded at23 to receive the boss 9. At 24 there is indicated an escape port andfilling port, normally closed by a screw-plug 25. A floating member orpiston (follower) 28, with cup-shaped packing members 29, 30, held byrings 31, 32, divides the casing 1 into a compressed-air chamber 26 anda storage chamber 27 for the fire-extinguishing fluid. A guard 33 may beconnected with the follower 28 to keep it of the cylinder 11.

Instead of treating the piston packing with glycerin before placing thepacking in the apparatus, the glycerin may be applied to the inner wallof the container, and the piston packing will take up a suflicient has adischarge amount of glycerin as the follower in the container orreceptacle.

The lubricating properties of glycerin are of course highly valuablewhen this substance is used in conjunction with a movable part, as justset forth. Glycerin however also has the advantage of thoroughly fillingthe pores of the packing and thus securing a tight joint. This property,obviously, will be equally valuable in the case of a movable packing,just referredto above, and in that of a stationary packing employed,say, to secure a tight joint between two normally fixed parts of thecontainer. Thus, if the washer 5 of the Lawrence patent mentioned above,is made of leather it will be advantageous to .treat this washer withglycerin so as to insure a tight joint at this place. Similarly, assuggested above, glycerin might be used to impregnate the washer shownin m aforesaid patent between the cock E and t e outlet D.

So far as glycerin is relied upon to absorb any moisture present withinthe apparatus and to thus prevent such moisture from combining withcarbon tetrachlorid and forming the corrosive hydrochloric acid, thehygroscopic quality of glycerin obviously will be equally valuablewhether the glycerin be applied to a packing, or in some other mannerplaced within the container so as to absorb moisture and prevent theformation of hydrochloric acid. This is of particular importance inapparatus having no piston or follower of the character shown in theaforesaid two patents. -"If we assume that the piston or follower shownin said two patents (together with the parts secured to such follower)is omitted, the resulting apparatus will still be operative under mostconditions, the compressed air and the charge of carbon tetrachloridbeing no longer separated by a follower, but contained in a singlechamber of the container; Even with a one-chamber apparatus of thischaracter, it will be advisable, according to my invention, to rovide acertain amount of glycerin within t e apparatus, either by applying suchglycerin to the inner wall of the container, preferably at the upperportion thereof (that is, in the air-space), or, and this is probablythe better way, by spreading a film of glycerin on top of the carbontetrachlerid surface, so that a thin layer of glycerin will intervenebetween the com pressed air and the carbon tetrachlorid. Glycerin beinglighter than carbon tetrachlo-rid, will always float on top of thecarbon tetrachlorid. It will thus be seen that whether the apparatus beconstructed as a one-cl1amber container or as a two-chamber container,the compressed air at one end of the apparatus will not be in directcontact with the carbon tetrachlorid at the other end of the container,but a barrier of glycmoves evaporate to any appreciable extent.

the carbon tetrachlorid is not absolutely esbon tetrachlorid and thusforming hydroas has been the practice hitherto, a corroding formationofcompounds such asstearic or erin will be interposed between such air andsuch carbon tetrachlorid.

\Vhile the arrangement of the glycerin to form an actual barrier betweenthe air and sential to the success of my invention, I believe that thisis the arrangement which will secure the best results. The use of pureglycerin is advisable for the reason that ordinary commercial glycerinoften contains acids in sufficient quantity to exert a corroding actionon copper or brass.

When the glycerin is applied to leather'or other absorbent packingmaterial, such packings may be simply coated, or thoroughly impregnatedwith glycerin. Glycerin is readily absorbed by leather and the like,retains its proper viscosity at all ordi; nary temperatures, and isabsolutely unaffected by carbon tetrachlorid. Glycerin will not, when incontact with air or with carbon tetrachlorid, form products whichinjuriously affect the copper or brass of which the containeris-ordinarily made, even if the apparatus should stand unused for aconsiderable length of time. Glycerin Will not Its hygroscopicproperties are extremely valu-' able in the present case, inasmuch asthey will prevent the moisture present (either in the air, or in theleather or other packing material, or as an impurity admixed to carbonte-trachlorid), from combining with carchloric acid, the detrimentalaction of which has been referred to hercinabove. When the washers areimpregnated with oil or grease,

action is observed on the metal of 'the container, and the packingmaterial employed for the washers becomes dry and rotten, of ten fallingto pieces. particularly if the apparatus is not'used for a considerablelength of time, as is the case with a fire-extinguisher. Thesedetrimental effects are due chiefly, as I have stated above, to theformation of hydrochloric acid, but there may also occur a chemicalchange (oxidation) in the oil or grease used hitherto for the packing,under the influence of the air, leading to the chic acid which have acorroding action on the metal of which the container is made. Possiblyalso, when the packing was treated with oil or grease, the carbontetrachlorid did dissolve or absorbsuch oil or grease from the packing,causing the latter to become dry, so that it would fail to preserve atight yet easy fit on the walls of the contamer. Whatever may have beenthe reason or reasons for the objectionable results observed when oil orgrease was employed, the use of glycerin according to my invenlionavoids these drawbacks.

Itwill be understood that the use of lycerin will present the advantagesset orth above, whether the liquid contained in the receptacle becommercial carbon tetrachlorid, or a mixture containing carbon,

tetrachlorid; similar advantages will also result from the employment ofglycerin when other chlorin compounds are stored instead of carbontetrachlorid, for instance tetrachlorethan'e. I therefore desire it tobe understood that the appended claims cover such substances asequivalents of carbon tetrachlorid. v

I claim as myinvcntion: I

1. A carbon tetrachlorid package comprising a container, a charge ofcarbon tetrachlorid therein, another charge of compressed airinsaidcontainer, and glycerin, to prevent the formation of hydrochloric acidand other detrimental effects.

2. A carbon tetrachlorid package comprising a container, a charge ofcarbon tetrachlorid therein, another charge of compressed gaseous mediumin said container, and a glycerin-holding packing at a portion of thecontainer adapted to be reached by the carbon tetrachlorid.

3. A carbon tetrachlorid ackage comprising a container, a charge ofcarbon tetrachlorid-therein, and'glycerin to prevent detrimentalefl'ects.

4. A carbon tetrachlorid package comprising a container, a charge of airin said container, another charge of carbon tetrachlorid in thecontainer, and a glycerin barrier between said air and said carbontetraehlorid.

5. A carbon tetrachlorid ackage comprising a container, 0. charge 0carbon tetrachlorid therein, another charge of compressed gaseous mediumin said container, a follower movablein the container and separating thecarbon tetrachlorid from the compressed gaseous medium, and packing,holding glycerin, applied to said follower.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM L. HARRISON.

Witnesses LILIJAN N. POSNER, Eorrii M. NicuonsoN.

